A1 Organics

A1 Organics is a composting company in Colorado that uses sewage sludge in its compost products. The company expanded to Nevada in 2006. While the company's name implies the products might be organic, sewage sludge is prohibited by the USDA organic standards. In 2007, the US Composting Council, an organization that promotes the use of sludge in compost, named A1 Organics "2007 Composter of the Year." The owner of A1 Organics, Chuck Wilson, serves on the board of the US Composting Council.

A1 Organics was founded in the 1970's to use compost "as an effective method for managing feedlot waste" for a family farm and a commercial lamb feeding operation. Today, A1 composts contain the following materials: biosolids (sewage sludge), brewers waste, dairy and feedlot manure, food waste, garden waste, grass, hog manure, horse manure, animal mortalities, leaves, packaging plant by-products, shrubs, sod, tree trimmings, turkey manure, and weeds. Its products are sold in several Colorado cities, including Golden, Centennial, Colorado Springs, Longmont, La Salle, and Boulder. "A1 is the largest organic recycler and producer of quality composts in the Rocky Mountain region. The company has evolved from one location to six major sites along the Front Range. Annually, A1 currently produces in excess of 350,000 cubic yards of... compost and soil amendments per year."

Products
A1 offers a number of composts, mulches, and soils, including the following branded products:
 * BioComp: Compost made from brewer's yeast, wood wastes, sewage sludge, and "at times, [wastewater] treatment plant residuals."
 * EcoGro: Compost made from limb waste, food waste, leaves, grass, and beer.
 * ProGro: A fine-textured material made from A-1's Evergreen compost.
 * Premium 3: Compost made from dairy cow manure and bedding materials.
 * 2nd Chance: Mulch available in a variety of colors
 * Screened topsoil: "Screened farmland soil, or a combination of residuals and other blends."
 * Amended topsoil: Screened topsoil combined with 30% compost.
 * Planters Mix: A 50/50 blend of screened topsoil and Biocomp.

Management
A1's management is as follows:
 * Owner, President/CEO: Chuck Wilson
 * VP/Chief Financial Officer: Healther Trego
 * VP/New Business Development: Bob Yost
 * Chief Operating Officer: Kent Pendley
 * Controller: Zac Griess

Contact

 * A1 Organics
 * 16350 WCR 76
 * Eaton, CO 80615
 * Ph: 970-454-3492 or 800-766-1644
 * Web: http://www.a1organics.com/

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Sewage sludge
 * Biosolids
 * Food Rights Network
 * US Composting Council